Castles in Moonlight

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Do people still make new year's resolutions? I try and sometimes it works! One year I told myself to finish a quilt a month or I couldn't start another new one! That cleared out the closet of UFO's that year! It really helped. So this year, I want to make a quilt top a month, and get the binding fabric and backing together with it. Put it in a bag so it's ready to be basted and work on. It may clear out some stash!

This one I had bought 3 jelly rolls...why would I do that with all the fabric I have already? Well they are cut strips and I liked the colors...and it was on sale. Sales do that to me. And things that are cute get me every time!!!

Well, I tried to do the math and figure out if there was enough in the 3 rolls to make a queen size quilt top. Not quite, but it seems that I do have more in those color ranges of blues, greens and greys. I put in yellow and magenta as well as some checks.

Here's the binding fabric and a backing. I'll put them in a bag with a note on what the size is so I know what size batting to use. I used to be able to remember a fabric was meant for binding on a quilt and left it in the stash. Not anymore! I have cut up several and then had to pick a different one for the binding.

This is the car and trucks quilt top. Coming along slowly.... It's all iron on, and many little pieces to each block. Then you have to zig zag stitch around the edges of each piece. Tedious to say the least! And if the room is too warm, then the iron on stuff gets gunky and makes the machine gum up. Some days it has gone very easy. Then like yesterday, every inch or so, it got stuck and the thread would break! Yuck.

Some fabrics were thicker than others and those were easier to stitch through. The white fabric is thinner, and it really being a pain to work on. It is cute quilt for a boy. Just keep in mind what you have to do to make it!

Terry got home on Monday evening. So we will have our Christmas on Friday night. I don't think I have been up until New Year's Eve in the last several years...so I'm just not worried about that. The holidays are pushed on us by the merchants and tv shows. Do we really have to have the Valentine candy out right next to the 50% off Christmas candy? And you wonder why the people are getting obese.

I used to read Woman's Day and other magazines like that when Mike was little. What I couldn't understand was...they would have great recipes and then how to lose weight in the same issues. So I mainly read quilting and art magazines. And now they have fat quarters and jelly rolls. Really? Couldn't think of names that didn't have to do with food and body parts? Ugh.

I went to the sale over in Clinton Shop yesterday. It will be closing after they sell off most of the fabric, books, patterns and kits. One of the owners died suddenly before Christmas, so the store is going to close. Go get some great fabric at very, very good prices! They are open today and Saturday. Then they will go through things again and be open next week for a couple of days. Sorry to see this shop go.

So? What will you quilting resolutions be? Finish that UFO that is still there? Start something else? Try working a series with the "what if's"? Try a new technique or go to a different show?

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Ok! I got this quilt top in an antique shop. I just loved the fabrics and the pattern. It is Turkey tracks, even though you can't see it very well. So I'm going to show you the block....

There is the turkey track block. Easier to see with the paper there.

Now you take one sheet away and it's still there.

Just love the fabric! It was all hand pieced. The fabrics seem to be a sack, whether it's flour, sugar, or feed sack, I don't know.

It's wonderful to quilt on an older quilt top. I do wonder, who made it. I would love to meet the maker or the family.

This one is for a new baby girl. It's bigger than just a baby quilt so she can use it longer.

The pattern is the disappearing 4 patch.

Now I'm working on around town quilt.

All cars and trucks, you use steam a seam to get the applique onto the fabric. Not used to working with this stuff, but the cars are adorable!

Here's some that are ironed on. And I have been stitching the black thread around the black pieces.

It's going to take a loooooong time to get it all appliqued down.

Good news! This is my 500 posting! What fun! I know I haven't been posting like I did at first. I can't believe it almost the end of December and 2115. Time gets pushed to go faster so we buy things for each holiday sooner and sooner. I haven't decorated for Christmas yet. I do have the shopping part done and some wrapping done. But with the crazy weather and Terry won't be home until the 29th, its not Christmas time yet!

Not so great news....a quilting friend fell down stairs and landed wrong. Memorial service is this Wednesday. I just saw her last Monday at the guild meeting. You never know what can happen. So get into that sewing room and cut up those wonderful fabrics and enjoy them. Hug your friends and tell people you love them.

Dug out lots of Christmas prints and some other fun prints for the backing. Machine quilting straight lines. So they look ok.

This is the quilt storage room, that has now become Christmas central. Making stacks of things that are wrapped...

There is a table in here that makes it easy to get things done. Just have to be careful not to cut any of the quilts lying around.

This is the one in the frame! Down to the last corner! Then around the edges, and binding.

Plenty going on around here and our house phone isn't working! It says in use.... it's like it won't hang up. Does this after lots of rain... but AT&T says it's in the house! Not so! And if they don't fix it, I'm dropping them! What a pain in the A$$.

This is the 499 posting on my blog! WOW! What fun! I hope people have read it and gone and made more quilts. Get out your tools and cut up all that pretty fabric! I have plenty of that and really want to do more quilts! So I hope we get snowed in this winter! I would love an excuse to keep at it in the sewing room. I'll be there anyway, but I don't have an excuse!!!

I had a great Turkey day. Good food and friends! Terry has to work over Christmas day, so we'll do that holiday later after he gets home. Gives me a bit more time to get ready!